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leonardtalbot 's review for:
When the Cranes Fly South
by Lisa Ridzén
Well...
Be warned, this is a masterful accountance of the latter moments of life. For someone who has not lived through this our author does a phenomenal job depicting just how difficult the scenarios can be in first person.
Having just lost my father in law some of this was very hard to digest. It is easy to be angry while reading this book and in many ways there is simply no other emotion fitting the experience. Anger when our character is treated as a child, albeit with love from the caretakers. Anger when our main character realizes his mobility is in peril. Anger when our main character can no longer hold his bowels. Anger when our main character is forced to forgo ownership of the one thing that brings him joy. Anger when our main character realizes he is one of few standing amidst his peers. Anger all around as age takes it's natural coarse over such a humble man.
What I loved so much about this novel was the flow. We follow Bosse, a Swedish man, under help from caretakers for roughly 6 months. In the novel we bounce between memory and the present moment, witnessing the correlation between how Bo functioned as a father and husband against his memories of youth and most specifically with a fierce father. In between our chapters are brief accounts given by the care staff that helped to progress the novel eloquently and ultimately lead us through this journey, showcasing how love can come in all shapes and sizes.
I can't say enough how moving this novel is. I ached for Bo from page to page and the life he is living, not one so far off from normality and that is what creates this stunning debut, the fact that we as humans, dog (pet) owners, partners and parents can so easily relate to. You need not be in your final years to extrapolate on your condition, to navigate the decisions you made, and to mourn the loss of love. But there is something so uniquely excellent in Lisa's novel that in some ways provides solace in the unpacking of final goodbyes.
I am so thankful to have been sent this ARC by Vinatage and will never forget this read.
Be warned, this is a masterful accountance of the latter moments of life. For someone who has not lived through this our author does a phenomenal job depicting just how difficult the scenarios can be in first person.
Having just lost my father in law some of this was very hard to digest. It is easy to be angry while reading this book and in many ways there is simply no other emotion fitting the experience. Anger when our character is treated as a child, albeit with love from the caretakers. Anger when our main character realizes his mobility is in peril. Anger when our main character can no longer hold his bowels. Anger when our main character is forced to forgo ownership of the one thing that brings him joy. Anger when our main character realizes he is one of few standing amidst his peers. Anger all around as age takes it's natural coarse over such a humble man.
What I loved so much about this novel was the flow. We follow Bosse, a Swedish man, under help from caretakers for roughly 6 months. In the novel we bounce between memory and the present moment, witnessing the correlation between how Bo functioned as a father and husband against his memories of youth and most specifically with a fierce father. In between our chapters are brief accounts given by the care staff that helped to progress the novel eloquently and ultimately lead us through this journey, showcasing how love can come in all shapes and sizes.
I can't say enough how moving this novel is. I ached for Bo from page to page and the life he is living, not one so far off from normality and that is what creates this stunning debut, the fact that we as humans, dog (pet) owners, partners and parents can so easily relate to. You need not be in your final years to extrapolate on your condition, to navigate the decisions you made, and to mourn the loss of love. But there is something so uniquely excellent in Lisa's novel that in some ways provides solace in the unpacking of final goodbyes.
I am so thankful to have been sent this ARC by Vinatage and will never forget this read.